Excellence Awards

Through the review and selection process, the following 3 categories of excellence emerged: 1. There are individual works of excellence across all faculties. Sometimes a project was excellent and occasionally a single drawing was remarkable enough to warrant a citation. In some cases, more than one project/student was selected from a studio, which is a positive reflection on the studio and the quality of the teaching. 2. With some studios the panel felt that, although there were no single works of excellence, due to a focus on collective working or other factors, the teaching was progressive and relevant and that this should be recognized and supported by the university. 3. In some studios, the overall quality/research initiative of the work in the studio was consistently higher than their peer studios, which is a direct result of the learning culture of the studio and ultimately the quality of teaching and personality of the tutors. The panel agreed that this was important and should be recognized even if individual projects within the studio have been recognized as excellent.

Each member of the selection panel, naturally, brought different values and predilections to the selection process, which is a great strength of the process. The final list was submitted to the Teaching and Learning Centre after a considerable and lively discussion and final agreement.

Bobby Desai and Steve Smith have prepared the citations, from notes taken at the time of the selection process and subsequent discussions with the full jury panel.

It is clear that, since the inception of the Excellence Awards five semesters ago, the standard of work has improved across all faculties. This upward trajectory has not only continued, this semester, but it is fair to say that there has been an exponential increase in the quality, diversity, inventiveness, relevance and maturity of work. This is a clear indication that the strategies and teaching infrastructure that the University has been implementing are paying great dividends.

The outcomes this semester are all the more remarkable, considering the acute difficulties of teaching, learning and living under the dark cloud of the pandemic. The panel would like to thank CEPT University for the opportunity to review this semester’s work. We congratulate the university, and it’s leadership, on all the steps it, tirelessly, continues to take to ensure that CEPT University not only retains its status as a world-class educational facility, but also continues to strive to be the very best.

And finally, we congratulate all students and faculty on a semester of outstanding design thinking and drawing.

Bobby Desai

(Chair of the Excellence Awards selection panel) Archana Shah Dinesh Sharma Steve Smith